Key takeaways:
- A three-judge panel has blocked the use of Alabama’s newly drawn congressional map in next year’s elections and appointed a special master to draw new districts.
- The decision has been met with mixed reactions from Alabama residents.
- The judges have not yet announced a timeline for when the new districts will be completed.
A federal panel of judges has announced that they will be drafting new congressional lines for Alabama after the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature refused to create a second district where Black voters would make up a majority of the population.
The U.S. Supreme Court had previously upheld the panel’s finding that the map, which had only one majority-Black district out of seven in a state where 27% of residents are Black, likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voters.
In response, the three-judge panel blocked the use of the state’s newly drawn congressional map in next year’s elections. As an alternative, they have decided to appoint a special master to draw new districts for the state.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions from Alabama residents. While some are pleased that the court is taking action to ensure that Black voters are not disenfranchised, others are concerned that the new districts could lead to a decrease in representation for certain areas.
The judges have not yet announced a timeline for when the new districts will be completed. In the meantime, the state’s current congressional map will remain in effect until the new districts are finalized.
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